Heirloom Tomato Varieties & Reviews | Tomat-Pomidor
Honest reviews of global tomato varieties from a 15-year-old growers community.
Quick Summary of Cherniy Tyulpan (Black Tulip) 🌍 Origin: A Russian commercial heirloom variety. Note: There appear to be a few variations circulating among collectors under this name (some from Brizhan, some from Panova), ranging from 150g up to 500g, but they all share the dark coloration and excellent taste. 🌿 Plant Habit: Semi-determinate to … Read more
Quick Summary of Cherniy Gigant (Black Giant) 🌍 Origin: A popular commercial Russian heirloom. Some experienced growers note it is practically identical to the well-known variety Cherniy Slon (Black Elephant). 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), usually reaching 1.5 – 2 meters (5-6.5 ft). Some growers report it can terminate its own growth (top itself out) … Read more
Quick Summary of Cherniy iz Tuly (Black from Tula) 🌍 Origin: An old folk selection variety from Tula. Interestingly, it gained massive popularity in the USA (often brought by Ukrainian immigrants) before returning to Eastern Europe as a sought-after commercial heirloom. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), regular leaf. Very vigorous and unpretentious. If not topped, … Read more
Quick Summary of Fenix (Phoenix) 🌍 Origin: A Russian folk heirloom variety from the collection of V. Kolyakov. The name translates to “Phoenix” (Fenix). 🌿 Plant Habit: Medium foliage. Performs very well outdoors in open ground and delivers a solid, dependable yield. 🍅 Fruit Characteristics: Large, dark pinkish-red oxheart-shaped fruits. The flesh is incredibly dense, … Read more
Quick Summary of Florentiyskaya Krasavitsa (Florentine Beauty) 🌍 Origin: A visually striking Russian/Eastern European collectible variety. The name translates to “Florentine Beauty”. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall). Can be grown in greenhouses or open ground. Be careful with nitrogen, as it has a tendency to put out too much vegetative growth early on, which can … Read more
Quick Summary of Feyerverk (Firework) 🌍 Origin: A well-known Russian commercial heirloom. The name translates to “Firework” (or Fireworks), referencing its striking visual appearance. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, typically growing around 1.8m (6 ft) tall. Growers note that the foliage is usually Regular Leaf (RL). It requires good support but can be somewhat sensitive to … Read more
Quick Summary of Solntse Severa (Sun of the North) 🌍 Origin: Distributed by a well-known (and somewhat secretive) Russian seed collector, Kolyakov. The name translates to “Sun of the North”. 🧐 The Naming Irony: As forum growers quickly point out, the name is quite misleading! One would expect a “Northern Sun” to be a yellow … Read more
Quick Summary of Pudovik 🌍 Origin & Registry: The officially registered name of the famous commercial variety from Siberian Garden (often sold with “Sevryuga” written in parentheses). Unlike “Sevryuga“, the name Pudovik is officially listed in the Russian State Register of Breeding Achievements. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate (tall), typically reaching 1.7-1.8 m (5.5-6 ft). Growers … Read more
Quick Summary of Sevryuga (and Severyuga / Pudovik) 🌍 The Naming Mystery: This is one of the most famously debated varieties in the Russian tomato community. Commercially, the Siberian Garden company (SibSad) released it under the names Sevryuga (a type of sturgeon fish) and Pudovik, stating they are the same variety. However, old-school seed savers … Read more
Quick Summary of Sasha 🌍 Origin: A Russian heirloom distributed by the well-known organic gardener and seed saver Kazarin. 🌿 Plant Habit: While sometimes officially positioned as a determinate (bush) variety, growers unanimously report that it behaves as an indeterminate (tall) vine, easily reaching 1.7 meters (5.6 ft) in both greenhouses and open ground. The … Read more
Quick Summary of Syzranka 🌍 Origin: A famous old family heirloom from Syzran, a city on the Volga River famously known as the “Tomato Capital of Russia.” The name translates to “Girl from Syzran.” 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate, but on the shorter, more compact side. It typically grows to about 1.6 meters (5.2 ft) tall. … Read more
Quick Summary of Serdce Mordovii Rozovoe (Heart of Mordovia Pink) 🌍 Origin: An old, unregistered family heirloom originating from the Republic of Mordovia, Russia. Note: Russian breeder Dmitry Gusev sells a “Red” version of this tomato, but the strain featured here is the highly prized Pink/Raspberry version. 🌿 Plant Habit: Indeterminate and tall. It reaches … Read more